One of the greatest metal bands of all time, in front of over 30 thousand people, had a fantastic two-hour concert at the Belgrade Usce.

We all will agree that some euphoria before this concert was like when they first were inBelgrade. Then we were “hungrier” for a good sound and great bands. But not this time we  could not  feel, days before the concert,  that the so great musical “power” is coming to our city.

Even though you are not that “serious” fan, even if your band members because of their history are not congeniality and you  think that they are somewhat “poseur” … even if you’re not serious “metalhead” … there is something tempting in the fact that you are present when they are here.

But the euphoria was there, no doubt. Social network overheat they can from their shots, announcements, status related to the concert. Thousands of smiling people in the black “Metallica” T-shirts walked the whole day through the city, before the confluence with the final destination …

Entrance in the concert hall was open from 16h, and the streets surrounding were closed much earlier.The crowds in this town began in the afternoon, and at least on that basis one could conclude that something is happening. With or without a ticket, many were happy to even be part of that crowd that milled around the mouth, buying souvenirs, t-shirts, sought acquaintances in the crowd.

Gojira stepped first on the stage, while over Belgradewas still day.

Standard good Machine Head played after them, and then the mouth already began to look like a serious concert hall, which is heated by one of the biggest bands in the world.

It is probably redundant and talk about the stage, lights, and everything that is the main team at these shows and be seen. They are big, and the stages are big. And, in that part of the organization, works flawlessly. They didn’t made a  ”technical wonder” , they just came up with a space in line with those who they are and what they offer.

James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo were fully expected, greeted with ovations, when, a little after 21:15 came on stage.

They didn’t  talk very much, they didn’t much heralded, they were there and played. Just as they know. And they know. And very good. I have many songs from which you can stir up the half of the body. And many of them were recorded just for this, the famous “Black Album” from 1991, and that “celebrate” this great tour. Twenty years later, the songs from this release are undoubtedly among the greatest metal hits that were ever recorded.

With a few songs from other releases, in advance, we were “doomed” to a fabulous concert!

They started the first song from the album … “Hit the Lights” from the album “Kill ‘Em All,” from 1983, and passed the title to “Master of Puppets”, which is a big hit right at the beginning of warm those who are still always been “peaceful”. Two years after this album they released “… And Justice for All” and with this album we’ve heard “The Shortest Straw.” They did not even skip the second album “Ride the Lightning”, and he marked the track “For Whom theBellTolls” Inspired by the work of Ernest Hemingway.

The only deviation from the set list they had the previous day in Prague, it happened when they played, to the delight of many, “Battery” to “Master of Puppets”, and then they are definitely dedicated to his most important album …

“The Struggle Within”, “My Friend of Misery”, “The God That Failed,” “Of Wolf & Man” of the past, to the first track, gently, song by song, celebrating with his audience an album that is the audience and “baptized”, and thanks to which has sold over 25 million copies. With good reason, obviously. Not just because of some “hits” that have remained to this day unsurpassed, but the energy and quality of the whole issue.

View of the Usce was fantastic, fan pit and the front of the stalls are “burned” by the good atmosphere, everyone sang, thousands of hands was in the air. And they were standard excellent. There was not much communication, at least not verbal, only some exclamation or sentence. But as I look on stage, in which Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and Truilljo, fills you with some enthusiasm, respect, and immeasurable happiness you where you are. And they communicate with music, energy and behavior on stage worthy of real metal star. Apart from a short break, when the audience on video walls can watch a short film about the band, “loafing” was not …

As expected, the song “Nothing Else Matters” burnt thousands of lights and camera phones in public. Word for word in the singing voice of one of the most beautiful metal ballad.

Followed by “logical” and then in reverse order “Through the Never”, “Do not Tread On Me”, “Wherever I May Roam,” and another that was raised thousands of arms and light in the audience – “The Unforgiven”.

After the “Holier Than Thou” to the end of normal time, and the two biggest hit with “Black” album, “Sad But True” so big “Enter Sandman”.

In the largely fantastic atmosphere, “Enter Sandman” was the right song for the culmination of this spectacle. Only then is “reported” and pyrotechnics on the stage, which is a fantastic fit with the legendary riffs of this song.

A few minutes break, and “Fuel”, which is consistent with the title followed by serious fires on the stage, and then the inevitable “One”.
In the end, with fireworks and black Metallica balloons thrown into the audience, “Seek & Destroy”.

Hetfield, Ulrlich, Hammett andTrujillo deserved applause as each and every smile after the concert. If dissatisfied, and was, I did manage to meet them, all this show has remained in good memory.

Long as the band said goodbye withBelgrade. Longer than many big bands that came to us as guests. Walked across the stage, waved, cheered up, throwing picks and sticks, get even one Serbian flag. Promised to make a small break, and that they hope will soon come again. They stayed inBelgrade, they packed and left forWarsaw, where two days later, continue to tour.

They went in a moment of their career, too far away. Many think they have managed to get the latest album “Death Magnetic” at least somewhat back “their” sound. But they obviously need to return to the past, and seriously blew his best works, in order to understand where to go on. Therefore, probably, this tour is so important and great. So the hope, and we think it is time to record another Metallica “Black Album”, which one day we also celebrate this.

In the meantime, they deserve it for the very end say only:
Metallica. Respect!

Report: Ljiljana Zdravković
Photo: Sasa Džambić